Best Buddies can most easily be defined as the friendship club: Walpole High School students of all grades get to know each other as they reach their primary goal of developing friendships with the school’s students in the Career and Education Program. Unlike the majority of the students at Walpole High, students in the Career and Ed Program do not attend classes on a regular basis. With the disadvantage of not being able to see the students in the Career and Ed program very often, establishing friendships with them is often dismissed from student’s minds–which is unfortunate for the students who do attend classes because the students in the Career and Education Program are definitely people one should want to get to know.
Members of Best Buddies meet with their buddies twice a month to develop friendships. One Tuesday a month, the club meets in the Career and Education classroom after school; in the past, these meetings have been centered around activities such as gingerbread man decorating and informational sign making to promote the Best Buddies Semiformal Dance in March. Although the after school meetings are great times to establish bonds, Friday night activities are the prime instances to do so. One Friday a month, Best Buddies meets outside of school in a more lively environment. Friday night activities already this year have included bowling night at the Norwood Sport Center, watching a Walpole hockey game at Iorio Arena, and movie night in the Career and Ed classroom. Best Buddies President, senior Michael Hebner, along with many other members, agrees that the most enjoyable outing is by far bowling night, which is why supervisors Ms. Connors, Mrs. Caine, Mrs. Udahl and Mr. Curley scheduled two this year.
The Best Buddies’ February outing occurred on a Saturday night, February 11, when the club collectively watched Walpole’s Varsity Hockey team play Dedham at Iorio Arena. After lining up to administer high-fives to the players before they got on the ice, the club settled into the top corner of the bleachers for a night of excitement: they were greeted over the loudspeaker and made several attempts at “the wave,” started by Best Buddies’ own Dan Cain.
Best Buddies has been characterized by many, both members and nonmembers, as their favorite extracurricular activity at Walpole High. The club hopes to maintain that title with their upcoming activities of the Semiformal Dance in March, second Bowling Night in April, and the Senior Goodbye Dinner in May.
